Political Correlates of Television Viewing

Abstract

This study examines relationships between amount of daily television viewing and political self-designations. It is based on the assumption that television's impact on the political front is not limited to news and specifically “political” programming, but that the entire dramatic structure of network television may contribute to viewers' underlying political orientations. The analysis is based on nine independent data bases, yielding a combined N of 14,067 respondents. The findings show that those who watch more television are significantly more likely to call themselves “moderate”, and to avoid the labels of “liberal” or “conservative”. The implications of the effects of television viewing on the political process are discussed.